Pasta Pomodoro and Veggie Update

Today we're at the cabin and I used a bunch of tomatoes fresh from the garden to make a basic pomodoro sauce. 

All you need are some tomatoes, garlic, and basil.  Toss in some pasta and sprinkle with some grated cheese, and you're ready to eat!  Thanks to the Seattle Times for featuring this recipe earlier in the week.  Click HERE to view.

Speaking of fresh from the garden.  This morning I picked three ears of corn from our yard!  I can't wait to eat these while we're at the cabin.  I've heard nothing beats home grown corn, so I'm excited.

Crab Towers with Avocado and Gazpacho Salsas... and Peach Pie!

Take an overwhelming amount of fresh cracked crab.  Add some chopped veggies and a bit of sauce, and you've got one heck of a dinner.  Of course, presenting the meal in tower form kicks up your meal to the four star level.  Fortunately, you don't need training at Le Cordon Bleu to make this creation.  Just a sharp knife and a steady hand for the tower building.

The recipe makes six servings.  There were only two of us (and a kiddo that took a few bites).  We both had seconds and there were still a good amount of leftovers.  Darn.  

This recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated, my all-time favorite place to visit for the best recipes and tips.  This dinner will definitely be made again, but potentially not until crabbing season opens again. Bummer! 

Crab Towers with Avocado and Gazpacho Salsas, courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

Crabmeat Salad

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 tsp grated lemon zest or minced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
12 oz lump crabmeat, carefully picked over for shell fragments


Gazpacho Salsa
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1/2 small cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded, and cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1 medium plum tomato, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1small rib celery, cut into 1/8" pieces (about 1/2 c)
1/2 small red onion, minced (about 1/4 c)
1/2 small jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

Avocado Salsa
3 avocados (ripe), cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp lime juice from 1 lime

Garnish
1cup frisée
2 oranges, peeled using a paring knife and segmented

For the Crabmeat Salad:
Whisk the olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Measure 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a medium bowl and mix with the mayonnaise. Add the crabmeat to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Set the remaining vinaigrette aside.

For the Gazpacho Salsa:
Toss the yellow bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, celery, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, and sherry vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside.

For the Avocado Salsa:
Toss the avocado, coriander, salt, pepper, and lime juice in a medium bowl and set aside.

To assemble:
Place a 3-inch-wide round biscuit cutter in the center of an individual plate. Use a slotted spoon to press 1/3 cup of the Avocado Salsa into the bottom of the cutter using the back of a soup spoon. Lift the cutter off the plate slightly to reveal some but not all of the avocado. Holding the cutter aloft, press 1/3 cup of the Crabmeat Salad evenly into the cutter on top of the avocado. Lift the cutter farther to reveal some but not all of the crab salad. Holding the cutter aloft, use a slotted spoon to press 1/3 cup of the Gazpacho Salsa evenly into the cutter on top of the crab. Gently lift the cutter up and away from the plate to reveal the crab tower. Repeat the procedure five more times with the remaining ingredients.

Dress the frisée with the remaining champagne vinaigrette. Place a few sprigs of the dressed frisée on top of each crab tower and arrange the orange segments, if using, around the towers. Serve immediately and prepare to be blown away.

I also made a peach pie for dessert, and used the extra filling and crust to make mini jar pies for the concert we're attending tomorrow night at Chateau Ste Michelle.  These will be a perfect dessert to our picnic!

Crab Cakes

After six more crabs were brought home on Thursday evening, it was time to make some tasty crab cakes.  I turned to the queen of butter for her highly rated crab cake recipe.  Paula Deen may use excessive amounts of fats in her cooking, but this recipe had very little 'bad' stuff and used Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs.  I had to give it a shot!

The only downside to her recipe is that there is no directions for a sauce.  After some research, I pureed a couple jarred red bell peppers, mixed with salt, pepper, and some mayo.  Yum! 

If you're a fan of crab and love crab cakes, give this recipe a shot!

Focaccia Bread

My mom's kitchen and floors are under a major remodel.  Meaning no real kitchen and all furniture packing in a couple rooms.  Since late May.  Upside?  Her contractor brings her his fresh, homemade focaccia bread and his wife's favorite soup.  He shared the focaccia bread recipe with us and I couldn't wait to try it.  Mike (the contractor) prefers topping his focaccia with jalepenos and cheddar, but I went with my favorite toppings... sea salt and chopped fresh rosemary.

Add the ingredients and let your mixer do the work for about five minutes.

After a quick knead, let the dough rise.  I let it rise for at least an hour in a warm spot.  I put mine in the oven (it was off!) for almost 2 hours.  It was huge when I took it out.  (before pic below)

After spreading the dough out on the cookie sheet, it rises once again. Don't forget to poke the dough with your fingers for the traditional look!  I let it rise for another 2 hours and it was ready for a sprinkling of sea salt and rosemary. 

My bread only took about 18 minutes to bake, so keep a close eye on your oven and set the timer for 15 minutes just to check on the progress.

When I say this bread is amazing, I mean it.  We couldn't wait for it to cool.  Within five minutes of the focaccia being out of the oven we had eaten almost a third of the pan.  This is a must try, and really, its fairy basic.  You just need to have time to let the dough rise.... do some laundry, catch up on reality television, or play outside!

Focaccia, courtesy of Anne Burrell
1 3/4 c. warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
5 c. all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1 Tbsp kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
1 c.extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. (Chef's Note: This may seem excessive, but focaccia is an oily crusted bread).

Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (Chef's Note: Yes, this is strange. But when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.

Blueberries and Crabs

The boys spent the night on the boat so our crab pots could soak a while.  That meant the house was very quiet this morning, especially since little Miss C decided to sleep until 8:45am!  After a walk to Tully's we ran in to our neighbor who was going to pick blackberries.  I love picking blackberries but had no supplies with me (bucket, gloves, garden tools to fight the vines).  But I decided I had to pick some blackberries when I walked past a tucked away location with more plump blackberries than I could count.  I sucked down my dirty chai and convinced Miss C to finish up the water so I could use the two 16oz cups to hold my pickings!

Best part?  The cups had lids so I didn't have to worry about the berries spilling all over our stroller on the walk back.  Of course, two of the stroller pockets were also stuffed full with blackberries. 

The blackberries quickly became a blackberry pie.  Lesson learned?  This blackberries were so juicy that the pie was too soupy after baking; even with the addition of some corn starch before baking.  Trick?  Add a tablespoon or two of uncooked tapioca beads to the fruit before pouring it in to the pie shell!   Here is a past post for blackberry pie.

The boys came home with quite a few keepers!  I love crabbing season!

Panzanella Salad

I'm addicted to Panzanella salad.  It is all Ina Garten's fault.  She always has the best combinations of flavors, and the colors in this salad are hard to beat.  I've used this salad for a few picnics and its great the next day too, as long as you don't mind your croutons being slightly soggy.  Which I don't mind because the flavors are even more developed.  You can also make extra croutons and just add to salad on following days so they remain crispy. 

I made a few changes to Ina's recipe.  Sorry Ina!  I omitted the capers and basil and added a good handful of crumbled feta.  This is the perfect summer salad and everyone that has tried it raves about the flavors.

Panzanella Salad, courtesy of Ina Garten

3 Tbsp good olive oil

1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)

1 tsp kosher salt

2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped (I excluded)

3 tablespoons capers, drained (I excluded)

1 c. crumbled feta (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

1 tsp finely minced garlic

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

My favorite napkins... "Dinner Is Poured".

Baking Powder Biscuits - on the grill!

I was flipping through our Traeger (smoker/bbq) cookbook and saw some tasty looking baking powder biscuits.  I had all the ingredients so gave them a shot.  Someone clearly didn't proof the recipe, because I think there was at least one cup of flour missing.  The dough was like soup, and there was NO way anyone could knead it, let alone stop it from running all over the counter on to the floor.  I added just over a cup of flour to get a better consistancy, and we were back on track.

I couldn't find my round cookie cutter, so instead I just shaped the finished dough in to a rectangle and cut in to eight squares. 

If you have similar issues with the dough being too runny, just gradually add more flour to the dough until it holds together.

Better Buttermilk Biscuits, Traeger Grill Recipes

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp lard
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp shortening
½ tsp baking soda
1 c. chilled buttermilk

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into mixing bowl. Sift mixture 3 times. Add lard and shortening to flour mixture; blend in with pastry blender or large fork until mixture has texture of corn meal. Add buttermilk and stir until a sticky dough forms. Pour dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 7 times.

Roll dough out to ½-inch thickness; cut into 3-inch biscuits with cookie cutter. Place biscuits on cookie sheet. Start Traeger grill on Smoke with lid open until fire is established (about 5 minutes) allow grill to pre-heat for 10 minutes; switch to High (450ºF on thermostat). Place cookie sheet on grill’ close lid and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown in color. Serve hot.

Makes: 8 (3-inch) biscuits.

Dinner of Favorites

I saw these beautiful heirloom tomatoes at Whole Foods today and couldn't resist buying.  They went perfectly with sliced fresh mozzerella and basil from the garden.  I paired the caprese with two thick steaks seasoned with just kosher salt and pepper...

For dessert?  S'mores!  I've been craving them for a while, and because we had no campfire or want to build a fire inside, we used our old gas grill!  Nothing says s'mores like standing over an old BBQ and hovering  marshmallows on small wood skewers over open gas flame.  Unfortunately, the kids were in bed.  Fortunately this meant more marshmallows for me!

Garden Update - 2

It has barely been a week since my last post on the garden, and it's amazing the growth that has taken place.  One zucchini is very ready for picking (grew at least six inches in a week), and another will be ready in another week!

We now have three pumpkins starting to grow.  This one is growing so fast!

I've got one red tomato so far, and about 200+ green ones.

Our roses are blooming to!  C wanted to touch and smell each one.

And the highlight of the day was my husbands crab catch.  Nine crabs total between two guys - missing the limit by just one crab! 

Gross Dessert with Grosser Name

There should be a law against food items called 'dingleberrys' and the food item actually resembling something just as gross.  I tried to steer my child clear of the booth at our neighborhood concert, but the line for Molly Moon's ice cream was just too long.  The berries turned dingleberry won. Barf.

I'm almost as concerned that my child was willing to eat something dipped in a low quality, milk chocolatey substance.  I'm a dark chocolate lover!

Garden Update

Our garden is growing!  The sun is finally shining and the plants are thriving.

Cucumbers...

 Zucchini

 Pumpkin

 Corn

 Out of control tomatoes

 Butternut Squash